UAE says Gulf Arab bloc still strong despite Qatar row

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday the Gulf Cooperation Council remained valid despite a bitter row with Qatar that has fractured the bloc ahead of an annual summit next week.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt have imposed a diplomatic and economic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over Doha supports terrorism.
“The main success of the council is in its economic aspects and the creation of a Gulf common market,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted.
“The political crisis will end when the cause behind it ends and that is Qatar’s support of extremism and its interference in the stability of the region.”
Last week, Qatar abruptly announced it was quitting OPEC after 57 years to focus on gas.

At least 30 migrants believed missing after boat sinking off Libya

According to a survivor the boat was carrying almost 50 migrants

Libya's western coast is a main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe

Updated 8 min 26 sec ago

Reuters

March 21, 2019 18:45

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TRIPOLI: At least 30 migrants are believed to be missing after their boat sank off the western Libyan city of Sabratha this week, a coastguard spokesman said on Thursday.
According to a survivor the boat was carrying almost 50 migrants, coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qassem said. The body of one child was recovered and 16 migrants were rescued, he added.
Previously, officials had said at least 10 migrants were thought to have died in the incident.
Libya's western coast is a main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe, though numbers have dropped since an Italian-led effort to disrupt smuggling networks and support Libya's coast guard.